Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-03-23
The Golden Land.


The Golden Land.
Immediately after the acquisition
of California by the United States,
and her admission as state OF the
American Union, her name, 1.-The
Golden State" was given 70 the new
commonwealth and accepted as most
appropriate at home and abroad on
account of the golden nuggets that
were washed from her river and ar
royo seco beds and the bluffs that
aligned them. No attention was gwen
to other sources Of wealth in her vast
territory. Their value now SO vast
was entirely overlooked and the dis
tant land to the statesmen of the East
appeared only as golden cloud
floating in the western sky. Those
who happened to be in Washington
on beautiful summer afternoon IN
the elegant Senate chamber OF the
United States in the year 1850, will
remember that when VIM. H. Seward
rose to speak on the bill for the ad-
mission of California as state in the
American Union, and was recognized
by Vice. President w. R. King, a low
hush prevailed in the hall, gallery,
and diplomatic circle. All eyes were
turned to the classic statesman to
catch the words that fell from his
lips. Many Californians were there,
who like the Senator have long since
passed over to the majority. 1t was
thought that this speech would tuln
the scale and decide the fate OF the
new commonwealth, and a large and
eager audience filed the galleries and
the expectant state officers were ac-
corded seats on the floor of the Sen.
ate. The Senator said: "MR. PREsI-
DENT-Let California come in. Every
new state from the east or the west,
from the north or the south is always
welcome; but California, coming
from the land where the West dies
away in the rising East; California,
which bounds at once the empire and
the continent; California the youth
fnl Queen Of the Pacific, with her
virgin robes of freedom gorgeously
inlaid with gold is doubly welcome. +"
The rare felicity and poetic senti-
ment of the Senator's exordium
created quite sensation, and
some applause, which was prompt
ly suppressed. The crowning
sentiment which completed the beau
tiful figure was gold. That most val
liable metal was all that was recog-
nized as the glory of California for
many years; but in these later years
how great the change! The produc-
ton OF gold and silver in the State is
set down by the State Mineralogist at
$15 ,229 ,080.62, which evidently does
not include large amount Of gold
and silver ore shipped to reduction
works in other States for reduction
and refining. The gold yield at times
has been higher for a short period,
but at present the normal yield of the
mines of gold and silver in California
is somewhere between eighteen and
twenty millions OF dollarspe annum.
This to many persons might seem
large product for State to produce
of wealth to ship abroad, but it is a
very "vulgar fraction" when COM
pared with the wealth which the
State is regularly producing and re-
ceiving. The lumber interests are
now producing more gold than the
mines, and the grain yield exceeds
it three times over, while the grape,
brandy, wine, raisin, wool, and citrus
and deciduous fruits, exceed the gold
product ten fold. The innumerable
products of the soil are continually
pouring wealth into the lap of Cali
fornia at a rate that to an outsider
seems fabulous. The increase of
wealth shown by the report of the
State Controller appears as follows
Real and personal property of Cali
fornia at the time of admission of the |
State, $7I, ,63S, 4s6. This was of course
in 1850. In 1886 the valuation is
1865, 1885,, 1892, which is to-day less
than one-fourth the cash value of the
assessed. During the
past year the increase of value
in the landed property of the State
h vs. been the greatest of any year in
the history of California. The in
crease Of railway property has been
immense. There has been built about
Iour miles Of steam railway per day
during the year, which, with the
squipment. would make an increase
If over $50,000,0OO Of property in
1896 from that item alone. Then the
in buildings and other .
permanent improvements during the :
rear have amounted to more than
ZOO, ,OOO, 900, which would make a
otal increase Of wealth during the 4
Iear Of not less than $500, 600 900. )
his amount il made ND Of thous-